The Oxford Artisan Distillery

For The Oxford Artisan Distillery, whiskymaking starts in the field, with a focus on heritage grains grown specifically for them within a 50-mile radius. Local organic and regenerative farms provide crops that haven’t been commonly used for more than a century, making the distillery’s spirits an expression not only of this specific place but of its history too. Plus, the ancient methods of farming help to increase biodiversity in the local countryside.

Through its Physic Gin, T.O.A.D. it also captures another very specific place – the University of Oxford’s Botanic Garden. This spirit celebrates the botanicals grown in this garden, first planted in the 1640s for the teaching of herbal medicine.

Scotland Arbikie Distillery

On the east coast of Scotland lies a true estate distillery, with the family-owned farm providing everything needed to produce its range of spirits. The focus isn’t on scotch whisky, as you might expect, but on vodka and gin. For some of these, spirit is produced from potatoes or wheat, while a climate-positive range, Nàdar, is distilled from peas. The estate provides all of the necessary botanicals too, from juniper to honey.

There’s whisky but not scotch as you know it. Arbikie has begun making what it claims is the first Scottish rye whisky in more than 100 years. And like everything else, the grain is grown on the estate.

From Michelin-starred restaurants to corner cafés, the phrase ‘locally sourced’ has made its way onto menus and chalkboards all over the world. Sure, there are still plenty of places featuring mileage-heavy and out-of-season ingredients, but there is no doubt that the cache of locally sourced ingredients has increased dramatically in the past decade.

In a 2020 study by the National Restaurant Association, 76% of respondents said they are more likely to visit a restaurant that offers locally sourced food, proving the longevity of this global phenomenon. It ticks a lot of boxes, offering guests a place-specific experience, highlighting seasonality and delivering optimal freshness, whilst also supporting sustainable practices and reducing waste.

That said, there are some downsides to limiting the menu to local, especially in climates that feature dark cold winters or scorching summers. For bars, those limits are even more constricting, as the production of spirits doesn’t happen everywhere, and some, like tequila or scotch, can only be produced in one particular place. Consumer preference also comes into play. Many of the classic cocktails that people expect to be able to get anywhere, like a Daiquiri or a Whisky Sour, call for fresh ingredients that certainly don’t grow all over the world, all the time. Unstable weather patterns are also impacting harvests, making it more difficult to predict what ingredients will be locally available.

In the face of these challenges, bartenders all over the world are increasingly aware of how their choices impact the environment, and how much of a difference they can make to small farmers and producers. Our local heroes, those who have made the commitment to local sources central to their mission, excite their guests and inspire the industry with clever twists on classics and novel concoctions that would convert the most staunch Margarita lover or Old Fashioned aficionado. From Australia to Sweden, these bars are reducing their carbon footprint and boosting their connection to soil and season. If one of these spots is local to you, pull up a stool and find out just how much taste, how much flavour is waiting to be explored in your own backyard.

AUSTRALIA RE, Sydney

Located in an old train workshop that has been transformed with a pared-back, modern style, RE is a bar on a mission: to serve guests food and drinks that surprise and delight them, whilst fundamentally changing how hospitality businesses source products, in Sydney and beyond.

RE was conceived by Matt Whiley, a long-time champion of local and hyperlocal ingredients, first in London and now in sunny Sydney. Always seeking new ways to close the loop and achieve zero waste, Matt set a challenge for his team to create a variety of ingredients from the 10 food items that most often end up in the bin. They had to develop 10 innovative and delicious cocktails using only components made from these ingredients. In one of their experiments, they cured banana skins in koji and salt for a month. The result: something that tasted exactly like green olives. And according to Matt, this is only the beginning. “If we can make a banana taste like an olive, we can do anything.”

Outside the bar, they are going even further. Knowing that 30% of produce grown never even makes it off the farm due to oversupply or imperfections, Matt and his team are trying to attack this problem at the source. “Our five-year plan is to create a marketplace for local produce that growers would otherwise throw out.” Growers make money on produce that would have been destroyed.

SWEDEN Facit, Umeå

Located in the largest city in northern Sweden, Facit adheres to local principles in an extraordinarily unforgiving natural environment, using no imported products. “We invest in Swedish booze,” its website proudly proclaims, and with a spot on The World’s 50 Best Bars list, it seems like that decision was a very sound investment.

The menu features a ‘Geografi’ section, with each cocktail representing a different region, as well as a classics list that offers local takes on crowd favourites. Familiar acid sources like limes and grapefruit have been switched out for rhubarb, quince, apples and lingonberries, delivering delightful alterations to familiar flavour profiles.

Facit is the brainchild of Emil Åreng, a Swedish bar industry veteran who has spent the past 13 years exploring the local ingredients that have always been part of his world. He works with producers and small farmers throughout Sweden, engaging them in his process to support long-term sustainability. “Each year the local ingredients have gotten better and more producers have realised that it’s not that ‘hard’ to do.”

Emil relishes the moment when guests discover just how rich the natural bounty of his native land is. “People from Sweden are more surprised than tourists that we are such a diverse country with so many different distilleries and producers!”

Hospitality businesses save money on supplies. Food waste is reduced. Everyone commits to the system, and everyone benefits.

If you’re worried that all this talk of waste might ruin your appetite, don’t fret. The ‘W’ word is nowhere to be seen on the cocktail list and the bar is a lecture-free zone. Ultimately, the viability of the business and its mission rests on its ability to deliver great experiences for guests. “Going to a bar isn’t about being educated. It’s about having fun.”

China

Mostly Harmless, Hong Kong

In a bar scene that has historically relied on imported goods to deliver world-class cocktails, Mostly Harmless stands out for its locally sourced omakase experience that celebrates the rich variety that Hong Kong’s subtropical climate is capable of producing. Working exclusively with local farms for its fresh ingredients, the bar offers a rotating list of four cocktails, all developed using closed-loop principles that minimise or eliminate waste in the process.

Ezra Star and her team have created a pretension-free zone in their popular bar, giving people an opportunity to enjoy sustainable cocktails without sacrificing flavour, variety or vibe. “Mostly Harmless is all about building community, and we do that through every aspect of our approach.”

Unfortunately, some of the challenges they face can’t be fixed in-house. “We would love to use more local liquor –however, production in Hong Kong is quite challenging and limits our ability to do so.” Rather than letting those challenges get her down, Ezra has big plans to get even more involved with local growers. “We are currently working with one of our farm partners to start our own plot within their fields to grow our own plantings.” There can be no doubt that the drinks at Mostly Harmless represent a collective labour of love.